The present invention relates to swivel and pivot arrangements. The present invention finds particular application in mounting a lamp arm rotatably to a vertical surface and will be described with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present invention may find application in mounting arms to horizontal and other nonvertical surfaces and may find utility in conjunction with arms or elongated members for supporting other electrical and nonelectrical structures such as candle sconces, microphones, and the like.
Commonly, a wall mounted lamp includes a wall mounting such as a decorative box or plate which is adapted to be hung or fastened to a wall. A double male or double-M swivel which has three aligned swivel members is connected to the wall mounting. In the double male swivel, the center member has an axial passage extending therethrough and male connection annular sleeves extending axially outward. Two end members each have an axial passage with a female connection restriction or inward projecting collar adjacent the center member. The male connection sleeves are rotatably received in the end member axial passages through the female connection restrictions. The male connection sleeves are flared over the female connection restrictions. The pressure with which the male connection sleeves are pressed against the female connection restrictions determines the amount of drag or frictional resistance required to rotate the central member relative to the end members. The two end swivel members of the double male swivel are connected nonrotatably with the wall mounting with hollow threaded connectors. The center swivel member is rotatably mounted between the two end swivel members for rotation about a central axis. A lamp arm is connected with the center swivel member transverse to the central axis for selective rotation around the wall mounting. Optionally, the lamp arm may include an additional swivel connection therein to facilitate positioning the lamp in a greater range of orientations and positions. An electrical wire passes from the wall mounting through one of the threaded connectors into the axial passage of one of the end members. The wire further passes through the flared, male-female connection between the end member and the center member, along the central member axial passage, and through the lamp arm.
Although the double-M swivel has been fairly successful, there are drawbacks associated with it. One drawback is that it places restraints on styling of the lamp arm. Particularly, heretofore, lamp arms have extended substantially radially from the center swivel member. No provision was made for extending a lamp arm axially from the central swivel member.